13/3/2013, The 266th Pope was
elected (born 17/12/1936), he took the name Francis I. This name broke a tradition, dating from Pope
Lando (913-914) that no Pope takes a name not already used by a
predecessor.

28/2/2013, Pope Benedict
XVI (265th
Pope) resigned, the first Pope to do so since Gregory XII in 1415, and the
first voluntary resignation since Celestine V in 1294.

19/4/2005, Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope Benedict XVI (265th Pope) on the
second day of the Papal Conclave.

2/4/2005,Pope John Paul II (264th Pope), elected
16/10/1978, died aged 84.Four
million people travelled to The Vatican to mourn him.

16/10/1978.Karol Wojtyla, from Poland, Archbishop of Cracow, became the first
non-Italian Pope since 1542, as Pope John Paul II
(264th
Pope). See 2/4/2005.

28/9/1978. Pope John Paul
I (263rd
Pope) died, after just 33 days in office.

26/8/1978. After
the death of Pope
Paul VI (262nd Pope) on 6/8/1978, Cardinal
Albino Luciani was elected Pope John Paul I.

20/2/1878.Pope
Leo XIII (Gioacchino Vincenzo Pecci) (256th Pope) was elected, after a third ballot,
following the death of Pope Pius IX (255th Pope) (see
7/2/1878). Pope
Leo XIII then began negotiating with the German government to end
the crackdown on the influence of the church in Germany, or Kulturkampf.

7/2/1878, Pope
Pius IX(255th Pope)died
after a reign of over 31 years was succeeded by Pope Leo XIII (256th
Pope) (Gioacchino Vincenzo Pecci). See 20/2/1878.

16/6/1846, Pope Pius IX
(255th
Pope) was elected, beginning
the longest reign in the history of the Papacy.

30/4/1555, Pope Marcellus II (formerly Cardinal Marcello
Cervino) (222nd
Pope) died, aged 54. He was succeeded by Pope Paul IV. Paul
ordered that the Jewish quarter in Rome be walled, creating the Ghetto of Rome.
Palestrina
was appointed a member of the Pontifical Choir by Paul IV without examination
creating resentment amongst the other choir members.

14/9/1523, Pope Adrian VI,
Adrian Dedel, Dutch, (218th Pope) died,
aged 64. The last non-Italian Pope until John Paul II (acceded 1978), he allied with
the Holy Roman Emperor, Venice and England against France. This split the
forces of Christendom, resulting in the loss of Rhodes to the Ottoman Turks.

10/8/1492.Pope Innocent
VIII (213rd Pope) was succeeded by Rodrigo de Borgia. He took the name Pope Alexander VI. Rodrigo
Borgia had bribed enough cardinals to ensure his election as Pope. See 18/8/1503.

1417, Pope Benedict XIII, Pedro de Luna, antipope,
acceded 1394, was deposed by the
Council of Constance. However he maintained his position as ‘Pope’
until his death. In Rome, Martin V (died 1431) was elected as true
Pope (206th
Pope); end of the Great
Schism.

1/9/1159. Death
of Pope Adrian IV, (169th Pope) elected Pope
on 4/12/1154.

4/12/1154. Election of Pope Adrian IV,
(169th Pope). Adrian IV was Nicholas
Breakespear, the only ever
English Pope. This followed the death of Pope Anastasius IV (168th
Pope) on 3/12/1154, who was Pope from 9/7/1153. He was a sritct
disciplinarian, which led to attmepts to defame his acharacter: he had to
appear before Pope
Eugene III to clear his character. Adrian IV settled a dispute with
Emperor
Frederick I over the See of Magdeburg, and he granted the Lordship
of Ireland to King Henry II of England.

12/3/1088, Odo was elected Pope; he took the name Urban II
(159th
Pope) (died 1099).

1086, Pope Victor III acceded (158th
Pope) (died 1087).

25/5/1085.Pope Gregory VII (157th Pope) died in
exile.His supporters elected Desiderius, Abbott of Monte Casino, as Pope Victor III,
(158th
Pope) refusing to accept the papacy of Clement III, antipope, Guibert, as being a puppet of King Henry IV
of Germany. Clement III was antipope until 1100. When Victor III
(158th
Pope) died the cardinals elected Urban II (159th Pope) (1086-99)
as Pope, a candidate favoured by Gregory VII himself.

22/4/1073, Hildebrand
was elected Pope
Gregory VII (157th Pope). His election was unusual, being
accomplished by Roman clergy and common people, rather than by Cardinals.

12/5/1003.Sylvester II,
(Gerbert of Aurillac) the first French Pope (139th
Pope), died. Elected in 999 with the backing of Otto III, he encouraged the Holy
Roman Emperor’s ambition to re-create the Roman
Empire of the west.

999, Gerbert of Aurillac, mathematician,
philosopher and inventor, became Pope Sylvester II, (139th Pope) the
first French Pope (died 1003)

4/2/999, Pope Gregory V (138th Pope) died.

997, Pope
John XVI, antipope, acceded, ruled
until 998.

996, Pope Gregory V (Saxon) acceded (138th Pope, died 999)

985, Pope John XV acceded (137th Pope, died 996)

983, Pope John XIV acceded (136th Pope, died 984)

974, Pope
Boniface VII, antipope, acceded. He
ruled until 974, and again from 984 to 985.

974, Pope Benedict VII acceded (135th Pope, died 983)

973, Pope Benedict VI acceded (134th Pope, died 974).

965, Pope John XIII acceded (133rd Pope, died 972)

964, Pope Benedict V acceded (132nd Pope, died 964)

963, Pope Leo VIII, 131st Pope,
acceded; died 964.

955, Pope John XII acceded (130th Pope, died 963)

946, Pope Agapetus II acceded (129th Pope, died 955)

942, Pope Marinus II acceded (128th Pope, died 946)

939, Pope Stephen IX acceded (127th Pope, died 942)

936, Pope Leo VII acceded (126th Pope, died 939)

931, Pope John XI acceded (125th Pope, died 936)

929, Pope Stephen VIII acceded (124th Pope, died 931)

928, Pope Leo VI acceded (123rd Pope, died 928)

914, Pope John X acceded (122nd Pope, died 928)

913, Pope Lando acceded (121st Pope, died 914). Thereafter, no
Pope assumed a name not already used by a predecessor.

3/752, Pope Stephen II(-th Pope) was elected to
succeed Pope Zachary
(91st
Pope), However he died ofa stroke 4 days after election, before he
could be installed as Pope. Therefore he is omitted from modern
numbered lists of Popes.

The Apostle Peter is, by Church tradition,
reckoned as the first
‘Pope’ of the Catholic Church, over the period 33 - 67 (from the
death of Jesus). However he would not have seen himself as having this title vested in
him.